I will participate again at the American Heritage School in a Constitutional Law forum. The format is a panel discussion. It is at 7:00 p.m. this Thursday, the 5th. American Heritage School is located across the street from the Timpanogos Temple in American Fork.
This panel will be discussing First Amendment freedom of speech issues.
Since some of you attended last time, I thought I ought to post a notice again.
If you attend you will miss the Rush concert at Usana. In fairness I thought you should be reminded of this considerable sacrifice.
I played bass growing up and Geddy Lee had fun tunes to try and work out. Very talented. Hard to master even a few songs. “Freewill” and “What You’re Doing” were two of my favorites to play.
-Brian
While Neil is a great drummer (and fond of motorcycles too)….. I’ve never been a Rush fan…. I’d much prefer attending a discussion on constitutional law…. if they will let an old guy like me in. :)
Anyone going from this forum should have their blog alias on a name-card, lol!
The Prop 8 overturn was a hot topic at this forum. I thought about Romans chapter 1 where Paul wrote to the Saints who dealt with the Romans who upheld homosexual relations, and probably had the same political issues in regards to it.
To homosexuality, Paul responded, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;”
He goes on about these men “who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.”
There is some truth that God allowed these men (homosexuals) to know, but they put it to unrighteous practices. This is the truth that Paul wasn’t ashamed of, even if some put it to shameful use. Paul loved that truth in its proper context. He calls it the good news of Christ and the power of God unto salvation.
He goes on to say what they did with this truth:
“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;”
This last quote is definitely referring to homosexual practices, and is as explicit as Paul gets. This is the only piece Christians use out of this chapter, and they often use it to justify their abuse of homosexuals. What they (including many LDS) miss is the fact that Paul says these wicked men had some truth or other in their possession, which they used to justify homosexual practices, among a whole host of other reprobate behavior that Paul continues to list.
If we are forced to deal with this issue of homosexuality, and wish to deal with it with charity, it occurs to me we ought to seek to understand this truth of the Lord’s that Paul understood in context, and not throw out the baby with the bath water just because some use it to justify lustful practices. I don’t pretend to know what that truth is, but apparently Paul seems to have understood it, and was not ashamed of it. I assume he used it to comfort the Saints and convert sinners.
In fact, the beginning of his letter says he wished to impart some gift of understanding to them in person in relation to this subject which elevates the info to sacred knowledge in my book. A mystery even. That would explain why there is so much contention on it. Not many are capable of learning this mystery from their God, and those that do, seem to find it out unlawfully to consume it on their lusts, and “change the glory” of it and have an “error” with it.
Are we so boastful as to assume we know for sure just what that error is? Ask yourself with an open mind…do you really know what God thinks about this? Can you lead a person who has homosexual behavior or practices to salvation with your present understanding? Are the psychologists the ones who have the answers?
Again, if we are to help those with this evil in their lives, we must understand exactly what the error is and have the power of the truth that will convince them beyond doubt.
-Brian
After reading Romans 1, do you catch an image of the possible scenario…
Something like Proposition 8 has occurred in Rome and is dividing the people, some Saints included. Paul says he wishes to come in person and tell them something in private about this issue, implying it will solve the controversy if it can be believed.
Is anyone hungry for that light and truth?
I think even homosexuals would be at least curious to hear what Paul had to say on it, rather than be bashed on the head with the last few verses, even if they would have to accept that Paul’s position was that their current practices were sins. Paul always explained his positions if given the chance. If this was sacred knowledge, Paul freely acknowledged that any class of people could soon qualify for it, and that it wasn’t eternally locked from their view. After all, consider where he came from as a Pharisee.
…And then on the other hand, there were those among the group Paul condemned in his letter that said “who is the Lord, that I should know Him?” and instead commenced in their own version of “knowing” each other. Many of those probably fit in the category for whom it is everlastingly too late, being encircled about by demons, and sealed to their fate.
It is as Denver says…you can’t judge motive by outward action. Both categories exist among this group I am speaking about for whom there is a still a chance, and those for whom there is just too much done and whatever the Book of Mormon means with the phrase I used in the previous paragraph, it applies to them. We, however, are not the judges of that.